Student’s Project Gains Electric Car for Veteran Student Services

The ambitious “V-car” project was a natural fit for Cawley. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for 12 years, and as a reservist for a year, he has held the position of veteran representative to the campus Student Government Association since Fall 2015 while earning a B.S. in Aviation Business.

“I saw a need and wanted to act on it,” said Cawley. “The V-car gives Veteran Student Services staff increased mobility on campus to get veterans where they need to go, for event setup, and for campus tours for veterans and their families.”

Dawn McGowan, interim director of Veteran Student Services, added, “The car is used to transport students off-campus to the local Veterans Affairs facility. This service is especially welcome because some veterans don’t have cars due to injuries that don’t permit them to drive.”

Initially Cawley focused on buying a golf cart or persuading someone to donate one, but then Paul Bell, assistant dean of students at Embry-Riddle, suggested he reach out to the campus and the local community. Cawley contacted Yoon Van Hout, Embry-Riddle’s director of annual giving, about setting up a crowdfunding website.

“When Wayne came to us requesting a fundraiser, we were interested in what he wanted to raise funds for, since an electric car isn’t your typical rocket or robotics project,” said Van Hout. “I asked him, what are you going to do with a car? He said he wanted to provide another reliable source of transportation for veterans and the Embry-Riddle staffers who serve them.” 

The crowdfunding website raised $12,000, and a similar amount was donated by alumnus Richard Nisbett, vice president and owner of Daytona Mitsubishi. Other community donors were Larry Kelly, general manager of Ritchey Cadillac, and Mike Hickson, owner of Hickson Construction.

Embry-Riddle donors included the Dean of Students Office, the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Aviation, the College of Business, and the Veterans Student Services Office, including Cawley, who said, “They listened, and responded, and because of a great team effort we’ve turned a vision into a reality.”

The grand total raised was an impressive $24,075 that not only paid for the car, which was unveiled on June 21, but also earned Cawley the SGA Representative of the Year Award.

“Wayne went above and beyond,” said McGowan. “His persistence and determination to help our office and his fellow veterans made this project a tremendous success. We’re extremely grateful to him and all those who contributed so generously. Embry-Riddle consistently earns accolades as a veteran-friendly university and it’s because of people like Wayne who go the extra mile.”